Two student MRSA cases confirmed at Silver Lake

A school official says the infections are unrelated and were likely contracted outside the school.

Elaine Allegrini

Silver Lake Regional High School students will be emptying their lockers this Friday and every Friday for the foreseeable future after two cases of MRSA were confirmed among students.

"Custodians will be sanitizing the locker rooms, the common areas - gym, cafeteria, nurses office - every weekend in addition to regular cleaning," Principal Richard Kelley said Wednesday.

The students, identified only as a young man and woman, both upperclassmen, were diagnosed with MRSA in unrelated cases that Kelley said were likely contracted during the summer. However, the students were not allowed to return to school until they got medical clearance from their doctors.

Kelley said the students are not athletes.

"I don't know of any other schools in the area that actually have cases," Kelley said Wednesday after a meeting of the Patriot League of school principals and athletic directors.

Kelley notified parents late last week of the first case with a letter sent home with students and posted on the school's Web site. Earlier this week, he used the school district's telephone notification system to inform parents of the second case.

He said the boy has since returned to school with clearance from his doctor. The girl has not returned to school after her case was reported to school authorities Tuesday, the principal said.